System and method for monitoring air quality while cooling an outdoor electronic display assembly

ABSTRACT

A system and method for monitoring air quality is disclosed. A housing for an electronic display has a first pathway which extends between an ingestion area and an exhaustion area. An air quality monitoring device is located along said pathway and has one or more sensors that measure the concentration of various gases. The air quality monitoring device has a housing with a second pathway which connects an entrance aperture to exit aperture. The entrance aperture being configured to permit a portion of the ambient air in the first pathway to enter the second pathway.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/702,382 filed Jul. 24, 2018, the disclosures of whichare hereby incorporated by reference as if fully restated herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Exemplary embodiments relate generally to a system and method formonitoring air quality, particularly while cooling an outdoor electronicdisplay assembly.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

More and more individuals are paying attention to the quality of the airthey breathe. As such, monitoring air quality has become increasinglyimportant. The increasing awareness of air quality issues is driven, atleast in part, by the increase in environmental pollutants that ordinarycitizens are exposed to. This increase in environmental pollutants isdriven, at least in part, by increasing urbanization. To combat airquality issues, city planners, engineers, scientists, geologists,architects, and the like have begun monitoring and considering airquality issues when planning, constructing, maintaining, studying, andrenovating urban landscapes. For example, without limitation, studiesare increasingly being perform to analyze how geography and urbanlandscapes are affecting air quality and the environment. These studieshave revealed phenomena like urban heat islands and canyons which existwithin cities and can create air quality issues.

Air quality monitors exist which can be used to monitor air quality bymeasuring the concentration of various pollutants and other compounds ina sample of air as well as various characteristics of the sample of air.However, existing air quality monitors are expensive and cumbersome touse. Additionally, to get useful air quality readings and an accuratedepiction of overall air quality, such monitors must be deployed in manylocations across a city or other geographic area. Each of these airquality monitors must be powered and protected. The use of just one ortwo, or even a dozen, individual air quality monitors often does notprovide enough data for one to draw reliable conclusions from.Furthermore, the expensive nature of such air quality monitors makesthem a desirable target for thieves, vandals, and other criminals.Further still, such air quality monitors are often affixed to structuressuch as buildings or telephone poles which may need replaced or movedperiodically. Even slight movements in location of such sensors candrastically impact the readings, thus making the data unreliable.Therefore, what is needed is a powered and protected air quality monitorthat can be placed in a multi-purpose structure.

The present disclosures provide a powered and protected air qualitymonitor that can be placed in a multi-purpose structure. For example,without limitation, electronic displays are increasingly being usedthroughout cities for advertisement, messaging, wayfinding, and thelike. Such electronic displays are often placed in ruggedized assembliesto protect the various components of the display from the elements,vandalism, and the like. However, the environmental conditions, andsometimes the sealed or semi-sealed nature of the ruggedized assemblies,requires that the assemblies be thermally managed. Such thermalmanagement is often accomplished, at least in part, by ingesting ambientair. The ingested ambient air may be circulated through the assembly andplaced in direct or indirect contact with various components of theassembly before being exhausted back into the ambient environment.

Circulation of ambient air through such assemblies provides anopportunity for air quality monitoring. In exemplary embodiments, an airquality monitor is placed within the path of ingested ambient air. Theair quality monitor may comprise one or more sensors placed on a board.The board may be placed within a housing. Seals may be placed betweenthe board and the housing to substantially seal the housing.

The sensors may be exposed to the ambient air ingested by the assembly.In exemplary embodiments, the sensors are placed above riser ductslocated along intake ductwork such that a portion of the ingestedambient air is sufficiently slowed before contacting the sensors andthen traveling on through the remainder of the assembly. The intakeductwork may form a substantially “L” shape and a drain may be locatedalong the horizontal portion of the intake ductwork to drain anyingested moisture.

In other exemplary embodiments, the sensors may be placed within aprotective housing. The protective housing may comprise one or morefeatures such as deflectors, walls, baffles, holes, fans, somecombination thereof, or the like, which slow the air down sufficientlyto permit readings at an air quality sensor. The protective housing mayalso provide for water protection.

The air quality monitor may be powered by existing power suppliesprovided by the assembly. The air quality monitor may be otherwiseprotected by the housing for the air quality monitor as well as thehousing for the assembly. This arrangement has the further advantage ofnot disrupting the aesthetic appearance of the assembly or thesurrounding cityscape or geography.

Further features and advantages of the devices and systems disclosedherein, as well as the structure and operation of various aspects of thepresent disclosure, are described in detail below with reference to theaccompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In addition to the features mentioned above, other aspects of thepresent invention will be readily apparent from the followingdescriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments, wherein likereference numerals across the several views refer to identical orequivalent features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary display assembly alsoindicating Detail A;

FIG. 2 is a detailed sectional view of Detail A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an exemplary air quality monitoring device;

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary system;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of the airquality monitoring device;

FIG. 5B is a perspective sectional view of the air quality monitoringdevice of FIG. 5A; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of the airquality monitoring device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT(S)

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the followingdescription, specific details such as detailed configuration andcomponents are merely provided to assist the overall understanding ofthese embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it should beapparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications of the embodiments described herein can be made withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Inaddition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions areomitted for clarity and conciseness.

Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference toillustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) ofthe invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrationsas a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances,are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the invention should not beconstrued as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustratedherein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example,from manufacturing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary display assembly 10. Thedisplay assembly 10 may comprise a housing 14. The housing 14 may be ofany size or shape. In exemplary embodiments, the housing 14 isconfigured to be mounted or otherwise secured to a sidewalk. In otherexemplary embodiments, the housing 14 is configured to be mounted orotherwise secured to the ground, a building, a storefront, a wall, theroof of a vehicle, the side of a bus shelter, or the like. In stillother exemplary embodiments, the housing 14 is configured to be placedin a suspended arrangement from a ceiling or other overhead member, suchas but not limited to, for placement in a window.

The display assembly 10 may comprise one or more electronic displays 12located within said housing 14. The electronic displays 12 may be anytype of electronic display 12 such as, but not limited to, liquidcrystal display, organic light emitting diode, light emitting diode,plasma, cathode ray tube, or the like. The electronic display 12 maycomprise a backlight assembly. Backlighting may be provided directly orby edge light. Alternatively, or in addition, the display assembly 10may be configured to hold one or more illuminated posters. In exemplaryembodiments, two electronic display 12 may be positioned in a back toback arrangement on the housing 14, though any number and arrangement ofelectronic displays 12 is contemplated. The electronic display 12 may beoriented in landscape, portrait, or the like.

The display assembly 10 may comprise a thermal management system. Thedisplay assembly 10 may comprise one or more intake areas 16 and one ormore exhaust areas 17. In exemplary embodiments, the intake area(s) 16may be located on the bottom half of the assembly 10 and the exhaustarea(s) 17 may be located on the upper half of the assembly, though anylocation of the intake and exhaust areas 16 and 17 are contemplated.

Ambient air 15 may be ingested through the intake area(s) 16. Theambient air 15 may travel through one or more ducts 18 located withinthe display assembly 10 and contact various heat generating componentssuch as, but not limited to, the electronic display 12 (including thebacklight assembly), power modules, video players, processors,electronic storage devices, network connectivity devices, and otherelectronic equipment for the electronic display 12 and other componentsof the assembly 10. Such contact may be direct, or may be indirect, suchas but not limited to, by way of convection, conduction, heatexchangers, thermoelectric devices, some combination thereof, or thelike. Any number of fans may be located along, adjacent to, or otherwisein gaseous communication with the ducts 18, the intake areas 16, theexhaust areas 17, some combination thereof, or the like to facilitatethe ingestion, movement, and/or exhaustion of the ambient air.

The thermal management system may comprise one or more open looppathways, which may extend through some or all of the housing 10. Theopen loop pathways may be configured to receive ambient air. The thermalmanagement system may further comprise one or more closed loop pathways,which may extend through some or all of the housing 10. The closed looppathways may be configured to receive circulating gas. Any number offans may be located along, adjacent to, or otherwise in gaseouscommunication with the closed loop pathway to facilitate the ingestion,movement, and/or exhaustion of the ambient air.

The closed loop pathway(s) may be configured to thermally interact withthe open loop pathway(s). In exemplary embodiments, the closed looppathway(s) may be substantially sealed so as to prevent contaminatespotentially present in the ambient air from entering the circulatinggas. In exemplary embodiments, the closed loop pathway(s) maysubstantially surround the electronic displays 12. The closed loop may,for example without limitation, pass in front of the electronic display12 and into an area behind the electronic display, though any locationis contemplated. The open loop may, for example without limitation, passalong a rear surface of the backlight assembly for the electronicdisplay, though any location is contemplated. The ambient air 15 mayeventually be exhausted from the display assembly 10 by way of theexhaust area(s) 17. In this way the pathway of the ambient air 15 mayform an open loop.

FIG. 2 is a detailed sectional view of Detail A of FIG. 1. An airquality monitoring device 20 may be placed along, adjacent to, or inproximity with the path of at least a portion of the ingested ambientair 15A. In exemplary embodiments, the air quality monitoring device 20is placed along the ducts 18 such that the air quality monitoring device20 is in fluid communication with at least a portion of the ingestedambient air 15A. In exemplary embodiments, a first portion of the duct18A travels substantially horizontally inward from the intake 16 and asecond portion of the duct 18B travels substantially vertically upwardfrom the first portion of the duct 18A. However, any shape, size, andarrangement of the ductwork 18 is contemplated such that the ductwork 18may comprise any number of portions traveling any number of directions.

A drain 22 may be located at one or more locations along the ductwork18. The drain 22 may be configured to remove moisture or other debristhat are contained within the ingested ambient air 15A or are ingestedwith the ambient air 15A. For example, without limitation, rain, snow,dust, and the like may be ingested with the ambient air 15A and removedby way of the drain 22. In exemplary embodiments, the drain 22 islocated along a lower edge of the first portion of the duct 18A,preferably where the first portion of the duct 18A meets the secondportion of the duct 18B. Some or all of the ductwork 18 may be angledtowards the drains 22.

One or more risers 24 may extend from the duct 18 to various portions ofthe air quality monitoring device 20. In exemplary embodiments, therisers 24 may extend from an upper edge of the substantially horizontalportion of the duct 18A. The air quality monitoring device 20 maycomprise a housing having an upper portion 26 and a lower portion 28,though any number of portions of any size and/or shape are contemplated.The upper portion 26 may be selectively joined with a lower portion 28in a substantially sealed arrangement. The upper and lower portions 26and 28 of the housing may at least partially surround an air qualitysensor board 30. In exemplary embodiments, the upper portion 26 and thelower portion 28 of the housing are configured to be joined to oneanother. The upper and lower portions 26 and 28 may join one another ina substantially airtight or watertight fashion. The air quality sensorboard 30, in exemplary embodiments, is a printed circuit board.

One or more sensors 32 may be mounted to the air quality sensor board30. One or more seals 34 may be placed between the sensors 32 and theair quality sensor board 30 and/or the lower housing 28. The sensors 32may be in electronic communication with the air quality sensor board 30.

The sensors 32 may be configured to take various air qualitymeasurements. The upper and lower housing 26 and 28 may entirely orpartially expose some or all of the sensors 32 such that at least aportion of the sensors 32 may remain exposed to at least a portion 15Bof the ingested ambient air 15A. In this way, the sensors 32 may beplaced in gaseous communication with at least a representative portion15B of the ingested ambient air 15A. In exemplary embodiments, suchgaseous communication is made by way of the risers 24, though such isnot required. The risers 24 may slow the portion of the ingested ambientair 15 contacting the sensors 32 in order to provide a more accuratereading. Additionally, the risers 24 may ensure that little to nomoisture ingested with the ambient air 15 contacts the sensors 32.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an exemplary air quality monitoring device 20for use with the display assembly 10. The sensors 32 may be configuredto measure the concentrations of various gas pollutants. The gaspollutants may be those defined by the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), though such is not required. The sensors 32 may be configured tomeasure one or more of: particulate, pollution, pollen, ambienttemperature, humidity, air pressure, or the like. In exemplaryembodiments, the sensors 32 may be configured to measure theconcentration of one or more of compounds such as, but not limited to:carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, trioxygen, sulfur dioxide,hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, some combination thereof, or thelike. The sensors 32 may be further configured to measure one or morecharacteristics of the ingested ambient air 15 such as, but not limitedto: temperature, humidity, pressure, air speed, some combinationthereof, or the like. One or more sensors 32 may be provided to measureone or more of the compounds and/or characteristics. Alternatively, oradditionally, each of the sensors 32 may comprise one or more cells eachconfigured to measure one or more particular compounds and/orcharacteristics. It is contemplated that the sensors 32 may beconfigured to measure any type or number of compounds and/orcharacteristics of the ambient air 15. In exemplary embodiments,temperature and/or other measurements may be taken over a geographicarea and/or period of time in order to determine the existence, size,shape, and the like of various phenomena such as, but not limited to,urban heat islands and canyons.

In exemplary embodiments, the sensors 32 may be configured to detect thepresences and/or concentration of particular chemicals and/or compounds,such as but not limited to, those found in explosives, chemical weapons,biological weapons, nuclear weapons, some combination thereof or thelike. Alternatively, or additionally, the sensors 32 may be configuredto detect the presence of radioactive materials in the air, such as butnot limited, to the presences and/or concentration of certain isotopes.

The air quality sensor board 30 may comprise one or more components suchas, but not limited to: power module(s) 36, electronic storage device(s)38, processor(s) 40, network connectivity device(s) 42, some combinationthereof, or the like. In other exemplary embodiments, the air qualitymonitoring device 20 may not comprise such components. The air qualitymonitoring device 20 may be in electrical connection with one or morecomponents such as, but not limited to: a power module(s) 36, electronicstorage device(s) 38, processor(s) 40, network connectivity device(s)42, some combination thereof, or the like. The air quality monitoringdevice 20 may be in communication with any number of components providedin the assembly 10 to support the electronic display 12, relatedcomponents, and other components of the assembly 10. This arrangementmay reduce the cost and complexity of manufacturing and installing suchair quality monitors 20.

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary system for use withthe display assembly 10. As a number of such display assemblies 10 maybe deployed throughout a city or other geographic area, the integrationof such air quality monitors 20 with the display assemblies 10 mayprovide a convenient system and method for monitoring air quality in acity or geographic area. In particular, the air quality monitors 20 maybe powered and networked for electronic communication with one or moremonitoring stations 46 by way of air quality sensor board 30 and/or theexisting electronic components in the assemblies 10. Additionally, theair quality monitoring device 20 may be otherwise protected by theexisting housing 12 for the assembly 10. This may also reduce the costand complexity of manufacturing and installing such air quality monitors20. This has the further advantage of not disrupting the aestheticappearance of the assembly 10 or the surrounding cityscape or geography.Furthermore, the use of ambient air otherwise provided from the openloop may provide more accurate sampling of the surrounding environment,particularly as compared to natural convection. Natural convection maybe more affected by localized conditions and may result in re-ingestion.Forced airflow may take sample from further away and may be lessaffected by localized conditions resulting in more accuratemeasurements.

The monitoring stations 46, in exemplary embodiments without limitation,may be configured to generate a visual representation of the city orother geographic area overlaid with the measurements from the variousdisplay assemblies 10. The monitoring stations 46 may be furtherconfigured to display the alerts. The monitoring stations 46 may beconfigured to display other visual representations of the measurementssuch as, but not limited to, listings, charts, graphs, tables, somecombination thereof, and the like.

In exemplary embodiments, one of more of the electronic storagedevice(s) 38, processor(s) 40, network connectivity device(s) 42 may bein electrical connection with the power module(s) 36. One or more of theelectronic storage device(s) 38, the processor(s) 40, and the networkconnectivity device(s) 42 may alternatively be in electroniccommunication with one another. The network connectivity device(s) 42may be in communication with one or more monitoring stations 46 by wayof a network 44. The network 44 may be the internet, intranet, cellularnetwork, the world wide web, or the like. The monitoring stations 46 maybe a physical center and/or one or more electronic devices computers,tablets, smartphones, a database, a server, a monitoring center, acommand center, some combination thereof, or the like.

The processor 40 may continuously and/or periodically direct the sensor32 to take one or more measurements from the sensor 32. The processor 40may so direct the sensor 32 to take such measurements at any frequencyor interval. The measurements taken by the sensors 32 may be interpretedby the processor(s) 40. The measurements taken by the sensors 32 may bestored as air quality data on electronic storage device(s) 38. The airquality data may be transmitted to one or more monitoring stations 46 byway of the network connectivity device(s) 42. Instructions for operationof the air quality monitoring device 20 may be periodically transmittedto the various display assemblies 10 from the monitoring stations 46.For example, without limitation, the frequency, interval, types, and thelike of measurements taken may be altered. As additional examples,without limitation, thresholds, types, and the like of alerts may bealtered. Instructions may be stored on the electronic storage device 38and executed by the processor 40. The processors 40 may be configured toautomatically generate an alert when chemicals, compounds, or othercomponents of the ingested ambient air 15B are detected and/or found tobe within a certain range, outside a certain rage, above a certainthreshold, below a certain threshold, some combination thereof, or thelike.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of the airquality monitoring device 20. The air quality monitoring device 20 maycomprise a first housing portion 52, a second housing portion 54, and athird housing portion 56, though any number, size, shape, configuration,and type of housing portions are contemplated. One or more apertures 58may be provided for access to the sensors 32 stored within. For example,without limitation, the apertures 58 may provide access for servicing,power connectivity, network connectivity, or the like.

FIG. 5B is a perspective sectional view of the air quality monitoringdevice 20. The second housing portion 54 may be configured to supportthe sensors 32 and/or the air quality sensor board 30. Alternatively, oradditionally, other portions of the housing 52 and 56 may be used tosupport the sensors 32 and/or the air quality sensor board 30. Anentrance aperture 62 may be provided within the third housing portion56. An exit aperture 64 may be provided within the third housing portion56. Alternatively, or additionally, it is contemplated that the entranceaperture 62 and/or the exit aperture 64 may be provided in otherportions of the housing 52 and 56. Furthermore, it is contemplated thatthe exit aperture 64 may be used for the ingestion of ambient air 15Binto the air quality monitoring device 20 and that the entrance aperture62 may be used for the exhaustion of ambient air 15B from the airquality monitoring device.

An air pathway 66 may extend between the entrance aperture 62 and theexit aperture 64. The air pathway 66 may extend through some or all ofthe air quality monitoring device 20. The airflow pathway 66 may beconfigured to slow the speed of the flow of ambient air 15B passingthrough the air quality monitoring device 20. For example, withoutlimitation, one or more structural features and/or modifications, suchas but not limited to, risers, baffles, walls, ramped surfaces, holes,channels, sloped surfaces, textured surfaces, some combination thereof,or the like, may be provided along some or all of the airflow pathway66. The airflow pathway 66 may be configured to provide a desirable flowrate, pressure, speed, amount, some combination thereof, or the like, ofthe portion of the ambient air 15B which travels through the air qualitymonitoring device 20.

In exemplary embodiments, the sensors 32 may be mounted above the airpathway 66. The sensors 32 may be oriented in a downward facing positiontowards the ground such that the sensor's 32 exposure to any moistureand/or contaminants in the ambient air 15B may be minimized. Inexemplary embodiments, one or more fans may be mounted within, along, orin proximity to the air quality monitoring device 20 so as to force aportion 15B of the ingested ambient air 15A into the air qualitymonitoring device 20.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of the airquality monitoring device 20. The air quality monitoring device 20 maycomprise a housing. A lower portion 74 of the housing may be generallyshaped as a cuboid with an open upper surface. An upper portion 72 ofthe housing may be sized to cover at least the open upper surfacedefined by the lower portion 74. The upper portion 72 may serve as alid. A number of apertures 76 may be located on one or more surfaces ofthe lower portion 74. Alternatively, or additionally, the apertures 76may be located on one or more surfaces of the upper portion 72. Thesize, shape, location, and/or number of apertures 76 may be selected tocontrol the amount, flow rate, pressure, speed, some combinationthereof, or the like, of the ambient air 15A is gathered to form theportion 15B which travels through the air quality monitoring device 20.One or more apertures 58 may be provided for access to the sensors 32stored within.

The air quality monitoring device 20, and/or various components thereof,may be comprised of stainless steel, though any material iscontemplated.

Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the optionalor preferred features of the other embodiments of the present invention.The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to beexhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. Theexemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain theprinciples of the present invention so that others skilled in the artmay practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplaryembodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art willrealize that many variations and modifications may be made to thedescribed invention. Many of those variations and modifications willprovide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimedinvention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention onlyas indicated by the scope of the claims.

Certain operations described herein may be performed by one or moreelectronic devices. Each electronic device may comprise one or moreprocessors, electronic storage devices, executable softwareinstructions, and the like configured to perform the operationsdescribed herein. The electronic devices may be general purposecomputers or specialized computing device. The electronic devices may bepersonal computers, smartphone, tablets, databases, servers, or thelike. The electronic connections described herein may be accomplished bywired or wireless means.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for monitoring air qualitycomprising: a first housing for an electronic display, said firsthousing having an ingestion area and an exhaustion area; a first pathwayfor ambient air extending between said ingestion area and saidexhaustion area; and an air quality monitoring device located along saidpathway and comprising: a second housing; an entrance aperture locatedin the second housing; an exit aperture located in the second housing; asecond pathway extending between said entrance aperture and said exitaperture, wherein the entrance aperture is configured to permit aportion of the ambient air in the first pathway to exit the firstpathway and enter the second pathway; and one or more sensors locatedwithin the second housing and configured to measure the concentration ofvarious compounds in portions of the ambient air in the second pathway.2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a power supplyelectrically connected to the air quality monitoring device and theelectronic display; and a network connectivity device in electroniccommunication with the electronic display and the air quality monitoringdevice.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: said air quality monitoringdevice comprises one or more access apertures sized to accept powerlines and networking cables.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: saidair quality monitoring device comprises an airflow disruption devicelocated along the second pathway and configured to reduce the velocityof ambient air in the second pathway.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4wherein: the airflow disruption device comprises a baffle.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein: the second housing comprises a pluralityof walls arranged into a substantially cuboid shape.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 6 further comprising: a number of additional apertures located inthe plurality of walls, wherein the apertures are configured to accept aportion of the ambient air located in the first pathway and exhaustambient air located within the second housing.
 8. The apparatus of claim1 wherein: said one or more sensors are configured to measuretemperature.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said one or moresensors are configured to measure the concentration of at least sulfurdioxide, trioxygen, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbonmonoxide.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein: said air qualitymonitoring device is configured to transmit an alert for transmission toa remote device by way of said network connectivity device upondetection of concentrations of sulfur dioxide, trioxygen, hydrogensulfide, nitrogen dioxide, or carbon monoxide above a predeterminedthreshold; and the predetermined threshold is specific to each compound.11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the one or more sensors areoriented in a downward facing position.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11wherein: the open loop pathway is comprised of ductwork; and the airquality monitoring device is located along an upper surface of theductwork.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising: one or morerisers extending between the ductwork and the one or more sensors. 14.The apparatus of claim 13 wherein: the ductwork comprises a verticallyextending segment and a horizontally extending segment; the air qualitymonitoring device is located along the horizontally extending segment.15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a closed loop pathwayfor circulating gas surrounding the electronic display and configured tocause thermal interaction between the ambient air in the first pathwayand the circulating gas in the closed loop pathway.
 16. A system formonitoring air quality of a geographic area comprising: a number ofelectronic display assemblies, each located within the geographic areaand comprising: an electronic display; a housing for said electronicdisplay, said housing having an ingestion area and an exhaustion area;an open loop pathway for ambient air extending between said ingestionarea and said exhaustion area; an air quality monitoring device locatedalong an upper surface of said open loop pathway and comprising one ormore sensors oriented in a downward facing position, wherein said one ormore sensors are configured to measure the concentration of variousgases, wherein the air quality monitoring device is configured to permita portion of the ambient air in the open loop pathway to gaseouslyinteract with each of said one or more sensors; a power supplyelectrically connected to the air quality monitoring device and theelectronic display; and a network connectivity device in electroniccommunication with the electronic display and the air quality monitoringdevice; and a monitoring station in electronic communication with eachof the electronic display assemblies, wherein said monitoring station isconfigured to receive measurements from said one or more sensors of eachair quality monitoring device by way of the respective networkconnectivity devices.
 17. The system of claim 16 wherein: each of saidair quality monitoring devices are configured to transmit to an alertthe monitoring station upon detection of concentrations of sulfurdioxide, trioxygen, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, or carbonmonoxide above a predetermined threshold; and the predeterminedthreshold is specific to each compound.
 18. The system of claim 16wherein: each of said air quality monitoring devices comprises: ahousing for the one or more sensors; an entrance aperture; an exitaperture; and an airflow pathway extending between said entranceaperture and said exit aperture, wherein said airflow pathway isconfigured to reduce the velocity of ambient air in the airflow pathway.19. The system of claim 16 wherein: each of said air quality monitoringdevices are configured to transmit to an alert the monitoring stationupon detection of the presence of certain chemical compounds.
 20. Asystem for monitoring air quality comprising: an electronic display; ahousing for said electronic display, said housing having an ingestionarea and an exhaustion area; an open loop pathway for ambient airextending between said ingestion area and said exhaustion area, whereinsaid open loop pathway comprises a horizontally extending segment ofductwork and a vertically extending segment of ductwork; an air qualitymonitoring device located along an upper surface of said horizontallyextending segment of ductwork, said air quality monitoring devicecomprising: one or more sensors oriented to face towards the ground andconfigured to measure the concentrations of at least sulfur dioxide,trioxygen, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, or carbon monoxide; ahousing for the one or more sensors; an entrance aperture; an exitaperture; and an airflow pathway extending between said entranceaperture and said exit aperture, wherein said airflow pathway isconfigured to reduce the velocity of ambient air in the airflow pathway;a power supply electrically connected to the air quality monitoringdevice and the electronic display; and a network connectivity device inelectronic communication with the electronic display and the air qualitymonitoring device and configured to transmit measurements taken at theair quality monitoring device.